Pilot burner head and support for thermocouples



c wAm'z 2,181,843 PILOT]! BURNER HEAD AND SUPPORT FOR THERMOCDUiI-ES- Nov. 28, 1939.

Filed July 5, 1934 fave/22W).- (YamnceZdZz/zziz D Patented Nov. 28,- 1939 I uulraosmras PATENT OFFICE PILOT BURNER HEAD AND SUPPORT FOR THERMOCOUPLES Clarence Wants, Milwaukee, Wis'., assignor to Milwaukee Gas Specialty Company, Milwaukee, Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin Application July 5, 1934, Serial No, 733,722 9 Claims. (01. 136-4) This invention relates to a pilot head and support for thermocouple means and the like.

One of the main objects of the invention is to provide a pilot burner head having a pilot flame tip for the pilot flame, a bracket for supporting a thermocouple or the like in position with its hot junction disposed in proximity to the axis of the tip and beyond the end of the tip, and

shielding means for confining the pilot flame so that the outer end of the thermocouple will be responsive to the heat of said flame.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a diagrammatic elevational view of a thermo-electrlc .safety switch and associated structure employed in connection with a heater burner and embodying the pilot head and thermocouple support of my present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional elevational view through a pilot burner structure and associated thermocouple embodying the present invention.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, in Figure 1 I have shown a main burner, indicated at It, which is provided with fuel by means of the fuel supply manifold l2. A normally closed solenoid actuated fuel control valve I3 is interposed in the fuel supply line, preferably anterior 80 to a manually controlled gas cook M, which is adapted to remain open during normal operation of the burner. The burner III is mounted within a housing l5 which is preferably inserted into the base of the furnace or other heating appliance 35 to which the burner is applied, and is provided with a pilot flame burner indicated generally at [6 which is supplied with fuel through conduit [1 connected through a regulating valve l8 to the gasmanifold [2 at l8.

The solenoid actuated valve I 3 is connected through conductors 20 and 22 to a thermostat 23, of any desired type, which is mounted in position within a room or other enclosure that is being heated by the burner Ill. The source 45 of power for the conductors 20 and 22 comes from the line conductors 24, which are connected to the primary 25 of a transformer 26. The secondary 21 of the transformer is connected at one side, to the conductor 22, and at its opposite side is connected, through conductor 28, to the terminal of a thermo-electric switch structure indicated generally at 32.

The burner I6 is provided with a thermocouple indicated at 33, the burner It being supported by brackets 34 upon the top of the box [5. A pair of conduits lead from the thermocouple within the conductor or flexible cable 35 to the switch housing 32. This switch housing 32 may be mounted in any desired position adjacent to the burner ID or the solenoid valve l3, 5 and, because of the flexible conductors 35, 28 and the conductor 36, which leads from the switch housing 32 to-the opposite terminal of the valve l3, there are no mechanical or structural limitations as to the particular disposition of this switch housing.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, if the pilot flame indicated at is should be accidentally extinguished, the thermocouple 33 would cool, resulting in opening of the switch 32, and consequent opening of the circuit through the valve l3.

Referring now in detail to the pilot burner construction, in Figure 3 I have shown this construction in detail. The conduit I1 is provided with an enlarged portion 53, which is provided with a projecting portion seating within the recess 54 formed in the pilot burner hood 55. The conduit i1 is maintained in tight engagement within the socket 54 by means of a cap nut 56 threading over an extending threaded portion of the hood 55. A jet member 51 is adapted to have communication with the socket or recess 54, and fuel passes therethrough outwardly under the hood 55, forming the pilot flame indicated at I9.

The hood 55 is provided with a depending projection 60, which projection is provided with an opening adapted to receive the substantially tubular cylindrical member 62. The member 62 is connected, through terminal lug 63, to a conuuctor 64 carried within the conduit 35. Extending within and spaced from the defining wall of the tubular member 62 is a second terminal member 65, connected to the conductor 66, and welded, at its outer end, as indicated at 61, to the outer end of the tubular member 62. This welded junction 6'! of the thermocouple, when heated, generates an electrical potential which causes an electric current to flow through the conductors 64 and 66. This current is extremely small, and rapidly diminishes in intensity as the flame i9 is extinguished.

It is apparent that the underlying principles of the present invention may be varied considerably in scope and the present construction is intended to serve only as anillustration of a preferred embodiment of the invention. I do not intend to be limited to the construction disclosed, except as defined bythe me and spirit of the. appended claims.

I claim: 1. A combined pilot burner head and thermocouple support comprising an inverted U-shaped hood member having-a threaded extension deflning a socket for receiving a fuel supply conduit, a jet member carried in said member and communicating with said socket, said jet member opening into the interior of said inverted portion of said hood member, an integral angularly offset bracket depending from said hood member, and means in said bracket for clamping a thermocouple therein with the welded junction disposed in position within said hood member to intersect the pilot flame issuing from said jet member.

2. A pilot burner head having a body portion formed for connection with a fuel supply conduit and an inverted generally U-shaped shield projecting therefrom, a pilot flame tip carried by said burner head in position to direct a pilot flame along the interior of said generally U- shaped shield, a depending lug on said pilot burner head, and a thermocouple supported by said lug with its hot junction end inclined toward and disposed in proximity to the axis of said tip and beyond the end of the tip, said generally U-shaped shield conflning the pilot flame so that the hot junction end of the thermocouple will be responsive to the heat of the pilot flame.

3. A pilot burner head having a body portion formed for connection with a fuel supp conduit and an inverted generally U-shaped shield projecting therefrom, a pilot flame tip carried by said burner head in position to direct a pilot flame along the interior of said generally U- shaped shield, 9. depending lug on said pilot burner head, said lug having an upwardly inclined opening therethrough, a thermocouple extending through. said opening and adjustably supported by said lug with its hot junction end inclined toward and disposed in proximity to the axis of said tip and beyond the end thereof, said generally U-shaped shield conflning the pilot flame so that the hot junction end of the thermocouple will be responsive to the heat of the pilot flame, and means carried by said depending lug for clamping said thermocouple in predetermined position in said opening.

4. A combined pilot burner and thermocouple support comprising an inverted U-shaped hood member, a pilot flame tip carried thereby for directing a pilot flame into the interior of said hood, a threaded extension on said hood member for connecting said pilot flame tip to a fuel supply source, a thermocouple having a hot junction, and means depending from said hood member for supporting said thermocouple in position therebeneath with the hot junction of the thermocouple disposed within said hood member in proximity to the path of the pilot flame.

5. A pilot burner head having a portion formed for-connection with a fuel supply conduit and a shield extending therefrom, said shield having menses an opening'along the side thereof, a pilot flame tip on .said burner head in position to direct a pilot flame along the interior of said shield, a lug extending from. the side of said pilot head at the inner end of the opening along the side of said shield, and a thermocouple supported by said lug, said thermocouple having a thermal junction at its outer end and inclined toward and disposed with said thermal junction in proximity to the axis of said tip and beyond the end of the tip, said shield confining the pilot flame so that the thermal junction at the outer end of the thermocouple will be responsive to the heat of the pilot flame.

6. In combination, a pilot burner head having a portion formed for connection with a fuel supply conduit, a pilot flame tip on said burner head and having a port for directly a pilot flame generally axially thereof, a thermocouple, a bracket on said head having an opening inclined to the axis of said port for supporting said thermocouple at an angle to said port and with the end of the thermocouple in proximity to the axis of said port and beyond the end of said tip, and a shield on said burner head having an opening for receiving the end of the thermocouple and confining the pilot flame so that the outer end of the ther- Enocouple will be responsive to the heatvof said ame. s

7. A pilot burner head having a body portion formed for connection with a fuel supply conduit and a shield projecting therefrom, a pilot flame tip carried by said burner head in position to direct a pilot flame along the interior of said shield, a lug on said pilot burner head, and a thermocouple supported by said lug with its hot junction end disposed in proximity to' the axis of said tip and beyond the end of the tip, said shield confining the pilot flame so that the hot junction end of the thermocouple will be responsive to the heat of the pilot flame.

8. A pilot burner construction comprising a pilot burner having a fuel nozzle and a burner shell, said nozzle being positioned within said shell, a thermocouple, said burner shell having a generally laterally directed opening and means positioned laterally of the axis of said nozzle for receiving said thermocouple and aligning same with-said flrst opening, and means permitting adjustment of the amount of extension of said thermocouple from said second opening.

9. In a device of the class described, in combination, a fuel supply conduit member, a pilot burner head having a body member formed for application to said conduit member and provided with a shield, a pilot flame tip carried by said burner head in position to discharge fuel for a pilot flame from said pilot burner head, a lug on one of said flrst two mentioned members, and a thermocouple supported by said lug and disposed in the path of the pilot flame, said shield protecting the pilot flame so that the thermocouple will be responsive to the heat of said flame.

CLARENCE WAN'IZ.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,181,815. November 28, 1959.

t CLARENCE WAN'IZ.

It is hereby certified that error appears inthe printed speeification of the'above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, second eolnmn, line 18, claim 6, fer the word "directly" read directing; and

that the'said Letters Fe/cent should be read with this correction therein that the same may eonfom to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed.e.nd sealed this423rd day Or January, A n. 1919,

Henry Yan Arsdale, (seal) Acting connnissioner of Patents. 

